However, before I cave and spend $179 on this device, I am wondering if this will be similar to other splitting devices where it appears to the computer as one big monitor and the device does the splitting (which I don't want). Or, does this use the packet-based nature of DisplayPort to present two/three separate displays to the computer?

Also, would this device work on my MacBook Pro? (I know the Dell site says it's for Windows, but it also says that no driver installation is required. I'd assume since the MBP supports DP 1.2 it would work, but it's better to ask). Thanks!

Edit: I've checked out the similar-looking Cirago DisplayPort splitter, but I have extreme doubts as to whether or not it's a genuine displayport splitter, or just another monitor-conglomerate. Their DVI solution looks identical to Dell's, which I'm pretty sure won't do what I want. I also don't want to order this DisplayPort "hub" and find that it doesn't do what I want it to.

This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:

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Finally, it looks like we have a real DisplayPort MST (multi-stream transport) hub:

See Club3D's product page for more info. It's pretty cheap too, only $120 CAD. Unfortunately for me, it requires DisplayPort 1.2 support (or AMD EyeFinity) which my MacBook Pro doesn't have, and it turns out that OS X doesn't support MST at all, but Windows does on Apple hardware.

The Atlona AT-MDP12 Mini Display Port Splitter appears to be a multi-port Mini Displayport Hub that really does split up the signals to provide individual self-contained screens instead of a single screen that spans monitors.

This may be a godsend to me in particular, as I am running a pair of HP 4:3 ratio monitors pumping out 1600×1200 resolution apiece, off of the Belkin dual-head 4-port KVM. Since this KVM is VGA-only, I can attach two Mini Displayport to VGA adapters to this unit, and connect them to the KVM. Presto, dual monitors being run from a Macbook Pro in a HengeDock.

Edited to add: I just had a closer look at the documentation and they are NOT CLEAR if this is a traditional splitter (like a VGA splitter, which just duplicates a screen) or if it is a thunderbolt-style splitter (which would allow the graphics core on a MacBook Pro to see each DisplayPort port as a separate connection, and to pump different images to each monitor). I have emailed them to ask for a clarification, and will do my best to update this post if I receive a reply.

It supports display splitting and cloning, so it should act like any multi-monitor setup. As for OS X support, I'm not sure.

Edit: I just found another adapter to do the same thing:

The matrox DualHead2Go DP Edition does this, but instead of DP -> 3xDVI it does DP->2xDP and it OS X compatible and supports output resolution of 2 x 1920 x 1200 with the help of USB power, but according to the two reviews, it says you have to have two of the same monitors for it work properly on OS X at least.

I just sent Matrox an email as to whether each display connected to the Dual/TripleHead2Go shows up as a separate display to the system, and I hope to hear from them soon. The thing I'm worried about with the Dell device is whether or not the configuration is managed through software through the USB connection. If it is, and there's no software for Mac, I'm out of luck. I'd prefer to buy the Dell solution because it's cheaper, but if I'm not sure it's going to work, I'd rather buy the Matrox (assuming it does what I want it to do). I'll let you know what happens here.
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squircleJan 9 '11 at 1:31

1

I have confirmed here that the Dual/TripleHead2Go doesn't allow independent operation of the monitors; they appear as one big display. Thanks for the suggestion, though. I'm going to try to find out more about the Dell device.
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squircleJan 9 '11 at 1:45

It turns out that the Cirago, Startech, and Dell are all based on the previous revision of the IDT chipset which did not support a true switching / daisy-chain mode. This new chipset, supporting independent displays, has only been available since October. I recommend contacting IDT, if anyone is building such a device with their chip, they'll know. Most likely, you'll have to wait another 1-6 months.
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ewindischJan 12 '11 at 23:14

True, it does say compliant with DisplayPort v1.1a, but their press release also says, "The IDT VMM1400 is configurable to operate in hub or daisy chain mode. In hub mode, the VMM1400 supports four HDMI or DVI outputs that can display on up to four monitors. In daisy chain mode, the ViewXpand device supports a connection to downstream devices (for example, another VMM1400) to form the daisy chain of monitors compatible with the current DisplayPort standard"
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ewindischJan 12 '11 at 23:44

Although possible, I doubt they would claim that it supports daisy-chain unless the chipset can actually do it. It is possible that they failed to advertise it as a v1.2 device. Either way, there seems to be no devices actually built on this chip. It seems, too, that the devices built on the old chip were also built by IDT, Dell and Cirago simply rebranded the device (or built it to a reference design)
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ewindischJan 12 '11 at 23:48

@ewindisch It must have been either mis-labeled, or just doing the one-huge-display thing. *"Other improvements ]in DisplayPort 1.2] include multiple independent video streams (daisy-chain connection with multiple monitors)..." So unless it's DP 1.2, I guess it won't cut it. Thanks anyways for the suggestion!
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squircleJan 12 '11 at 23:50